


14h05

by Khthon



Series: Metall/u/rgy [54]
Category: Metall/u/rgy
Genre: Fictional music groups, Fictional music history, Gen, Parody
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:36:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23970184
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khthon/pseuds/Khthon
Summary: Krypton and Neon are discussing an upcoming event when an excitable Fluorine bursts onto the scene.
Series: Metall/u/rgy [54]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/354770
Kudos: 2





	14h05

**Author's Note:**

> Takes places during the first quarter of year 1.

“So, do you think that you would- “  
Krypton’s words were interrupted by a scream from outside of her office. A familiar scream at that, which caused her associate to be mildly concerned with how she turned around in her seat to see if something was wrong.  
“-be up for doing a set for an upcoming music festival the city’s hosting?” Krypton finished her question as if the scream didn’t happen. If it was who she thought it was, then the source would soon find its way to her

“Uh…sure,” Neon said turning back to look at her friend as they shared a drink in Krypton’s sleek and cozy office, “when’s the event?”

“It’d take place in the middle of summer, so you got some time to come to a decision.” Now that piqued Neon’s interest. She’s quite sure that most of the festivals would require she take something of a sabbatical from the LD, and most of her vacation days are slotted for such things anyway.

“What’s the festival? I wanna be sure I’m a good fit for them.” Neon’s concern was understandable. It’d give her a glimpse of what sort of set to put together and what kind of act she should put on for the event.

“Well it’s something of a special festival- “  
“KRYPTON!” A voice rang from outside of the office, once again interrupting their conversation.  
“and I can’t say much until they announce it, but _Glitz_ would be a welcome addition.”

Now that caused Neon’s eyebrows to shoot up as her shades slid down her nose in surprise. It had been years, _YEARS,_ since she had toyed around with Glitz. She wasn’t sure what she was more surprised by; her friend knowing about that old persona or that it’d be relevant for a music festival ten years after she stopped using that persona.

Her surprise was momentarily re-diverted as Fluorine rushed into the office holding a music magazine open that she promptly slapped down onto Krypton’s desk. Likely the latest issue knowing the woman.  
“Good you’re both here,” Fluorine said as she pointed her finger at a specific article. “Is there any validity to this?”

“Validity to what, firefly?” Krypton said mildly as she held her girlfriend’s gaze leaving Neon free to glance at the article.  
“That Majesty and Swan are finally together.” Fluorine stated as she put her hands on her hips to playfully huff at Krypton. “Her Majesty played a concert here in the last couple of months, did she say anything about it?”

As the girlfriends had a playful stare down, Neon skimmed over the article with skepticism. That rumour surfaced every couple of years during a slow month of music news. It never really had anything new, not since Her Majesty and Mrs. Swan’s friendship became known to the public. **_That_** had been quite the month since it fueled the rumours that the music rivals-turned-friends were more than that. Something about the rivalry being a front for a torrid romance that was only whispered about backstage.

Bit ridiculous in Neon’s mind since the festival she did with them, slightly before their friendship became public, they bickered and fought extensively about anything and everything. Seeing two of her influences fight over petty reasons had dampened Neon’s idea of them being so great, which was amended during the actual festival and subsequent after party where she got to hang with them and talk music.

Ah good times.

“Flo, this rumour comes out every time music news is slow.” Neon remarked as she began to page through the magazine. Maybe something more interesting would be in here.

“That may be true, Ne, but that doesn’t explain why they’d be doing a collab for the Lightning Rounds anniversary this year.” Fluorine said ending the stare down to look at her club buddy. “Especially Swan, when has she done anything harder than hard trance?”

Neon had to give Fluorine points there. Mrs. Swan wasn’t known for doing particularly harder electronic music that Her Majesty did. Shrugging at her friend’s words, Neon closed the magazine and nearly dropped the magazine when she saw the cover.

There in glossy print read something truly shocking to Neon.  
 _Lightning strikes twice: Lightning Rounds’ 25 th anniversary festival!_

Standing up in shock, Neon slapped the magazine down on Krypton’s desk as she met Krypton’s gaze with a question.

“The festival…”  
“Yes?”  
“Is it Lightning Rounds’ anniversary?” Neon said not believing her eyes or what she was thinking. It’d be just too great if they wanted her to play a set there. She’d be over the fucking moon if it were true.  
Finally deigning to look at the magazine, Krypton spoke.

“Huh, I thought they were going to announce it later this month. Anyway yes, you’d be playing at the Lightning Rounds anniversary.”

This led to Krypton and Fluorine being pleasantly surprised with Neon jumping in excitement shouting ‘fuck yeah,’ before talking about everything she’d have to get ready and all the things that she wanted to do for such a special festival.

“Neon calm down please. You have more than enough time, the festival doesn’t happen until August anyway.” Krypton said trying to rein in her friend’s energy. It wouldn’t do if Fluorine got equally excited, it was only two in the afternoon. Krypton couldn’t handle that energy this early.

“Right, you’re right…I can work on my set soon enough.” Neon said taking the magazine intent on reading the article when something else on the cover caught her eye.  
Specifically, a line under the anniversary announcement that read: _Lady Grim stepping out of the shadows?  
_

“That still doesn’t explain why Mrs.Swan would be doing a collab for the anniversary. Unless…” Fluorine said bringing them back to the reason why they learned about the festival while Neon turned to the article that caught her interest.  
“Her Majesty got Swan to dabble in other genres…maybe through romance or something. Why else would they tease such a thing?

“Cause Swan wants to promotes herself?” Krypton said not-so-gently poking a hole in Fluorine’s gossip-fueled theory.  
“Babe, come on…what’s so outlandish about them getting together?” Fluorine asked with a pout. It was the most obvious thing in the world to Fluorine.

“Actually,” Neon said showing the article on Lady Grim to the two, “if Grim’s rumoured return is true, that would explain Swan’s presence at the festival.”

Now that caused not only Fluorine’s eyebrows to rise in surprise but Krypton’s as well. Apparently, the significance of that rumour didn’t register to her friends.

“Come on, you girls know Lady Grim right?” Neon asked holding back a sigh. She figured Krypton would know if her friend knew about Glitz, Fluorine not knowing wouldn’t surprise Neon that much since Grim was a bit before their current clubbing days.  
“Not ringing any bells Ne.”  
“I’m not seeing the connection, Neon.”

Letting out the sigh, Neon collected her thoughts. She was going to have to explain a theory she’s had ever since she began to get work as a dj.

“Flo, back before we were teens, in the 90s, and shortly during the aughts there was a dj-Lady Grim- that was a legend in the hardcore scene and a pioneer in the budding hardstyle scene. She’s behind some of the best fuckin’ tracks during that period and helped set the tone for early hardstyle. Made a label, Fair Fruit, during the mid-90s and signed some big djs to her label. Grim’s the one who made uh… Tartarus.” Neon said making sure Flo recognized the dj she was talking about. Krypton’s recognition was visible in her eyes and Neon hoped it remained through the rest of her theory.

“Oh damn, I love that’s song.”  
“Right? ‘s a good song. Anyway, during the early aughts-probably oh three-she retires to run her label. Understandable and all but she’s never heard from again.”

“That’s a massive label, no wonder she retired to run it.” Krypton said in astonishment. Neon could understand the sentiment. Fair Fruit Records’ essentially a legacy label when it comes to electronic music. They were behind some of the biggest singles and albums in the aughts and 90s, helped cement a place for early hardstyle as raves became more commercial during the last decade as well as helping to organize not just Lightning Rounds during the aughts but other well-known music festivals

“Exactly, anyway two years later a dj breaks into the electro house scene with the soon-to-be classic ‘Delight’. It would take a year or two for her to settle onto a decent name that she used for her second single that would catch Fair Fruit’s attention. And do you know who that dj is?” Neon said biting back her excitement. She rarely got to talk about this theory and given Krypton’s age, she might be able to sway her friend to investigate it.

“Come on Neon, everyone remembers Mrs. Swan signing with FF. Surprised everyone in the industry.” Krypton said remembering the buzz it created.  
“Yeah, I for sure thought Mega Records would’ve snatched her up.”

“Yeah it was incredibly weird, though it allowed FF to reach the height it is today. Anyway- “  
“Wait! No, that can’t be right?!” It seems Fluorine was the one to reach the end of the thread Neon was going to.  
“Ah ah, shush Flo. Anyway, the timing was always weird because Swan’s online and music presence is basically minimal before oh five. Largely just remixes she posted, good remixes, but nothing professional until Delight happened. Where I’m going with this is that…what if Lady Grim starts making music again in her free time and ends up rebranding herself as Mrs.Swan in oh seven while putting Delight out in oh five.” Neon said feeling rather sure of herself, even if a good portion of her theory involved going out on a limb with the timing and the private life of Mrs.Swan. For all of Swan’s popularity and fame, she's rather private as a person and not much is known of her history before she made music under her moniker.

Krypton quietly absorbed the theory while Fluorine seemed to be trying to wrap her head around one of her favorite artists having such an extensive history.

“But…how would that work? One of the earliest things Swan put out was in oh four.” Fluorine said as she was in the process of making a timeline in her head.  
“Swan would have to be approaching her fifties or already in them? Is that right?”

“Yeah probably, though it’s not a big secret that Swan’s one of the older edm djs. So, it definitely is plausible since it also took her a year to settle on the name Swan too.” Neon said mildly excited. The last time she had shared this theory she was called crazy…and she remembers why, since it was a few years after Swan broke onto the scene.

“Wait, Neon, how’d you know that Grim made FF? That’s only recently come to light.” Krypton asked causing Fluorine’s timeline to come to a standstill as Neon racked her memory to answer. Krypton’s usage of ‘come to light’ is a bit iffy in Neon’s mind since it’s been a known since ’11. Not Neon’s fault label history isn’t well known.

“Uh…I think it was around oh five or oh four, several years before you talked me into headlining for the Lone Digger. FF approached me about a single I made under the name dj Glitz and they were curious if I’d be up for making an EP under their label. Naturally, I was but I had to go down to their branch office to sign some contracts.” Neon explained somewhat sheepishly. This was before Krypton and her became friends so Neon was still trying to find her footing.

“Anyway, while I was there, I got to see some of the awards they had for the various artists and one of earliest awards was for Lady Grim. I got to chatting up the employee I was working with and she made mention how the label’s founder didn’t really like having her awards on display but it helped close deals, so she put up with it.”

Nodding at the information, Krypton filed the theory away for another day. It’s not like Grim was ever extensively photographed during the 80s or 90s, after all she was popular during the days when raves were underground, so she was able to enjoy a certain level of anonymity that’s harder to achieve now.

“Oh, hang on,” Fluorine spoke up once more pulling attention to her, “You’re dj Glitz?”

“Yeah…uh, yeah I am.” Neon said a little confused. She was sure her friend knew that already.

“I love your music! Got me through more than a few nights during uni.” Fluorine gushed, realizing just how long Neon has been making music she loved.

“How about we discuss more music history over a late lunch?” Krypton said upon seeing the time. The club was opening a little earlier than normal because it was a theme night, so everything had to be reasonably shifted.

“Sure.”  
“Fuck yeah, let’s get burgers babe.”  
Nodding in confirmation, the three women left the office and made their way to Krypton’s car.

The night’s going to be lively, Fluorine and Neon are gonna make sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Lightning in a bottle this was.


End file.
